The Fire Inside
by RedKaddict
Summary: Scabbing was the worst decision Jack ever made. But he had good reason, and he didn't leave his boys alone. Oneshot, character piece, Jack POV. For Jack Week.


**Title:** The Fire Inside  
**By:** RedK_addict (Rags)  
**Rating:** K  
**Genre:** Angst, Drama  
**Summary:** Scabbing was the worst decision Jack ever made. But he had good reason, and he didn't leave his boys alone. For Jack Week.  
**Author's Note:** I know I said I wouldn't be able to post anything this weekend. Apparently I lied. I was not aware that I would be able to write an entire oneshot in the span of two hours in anything besides my normal writing environment. I also was not aware that my brother would be bringing his macbook (for the record, I _hate_ macs...). Anyhow, this is an idea I've had floating around for a while now, but I've been waiting for Jack Week to come back around before actually writing it. So here it is, and I hope you enjoy it. To methegirl, consider this submission number one of what will probably be several, and I deeply apologize for my absence from the forums... To everyone else, go check out newsiesforever[dot]webs[dot]com. Submit, post in the forums, check out my car's fanpage... Ya know, fun stuff. And review!

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It was the worst decision I'd ever made in my entire life. And yet, at the same time, I can't help feeling like it was also the best. If nothing else, it was most certainly the hardest decision I've ever had to make. See, I've never had to be responsible for anyone else but myself. If my actions land me in jail, so what? It ain't like it's never happened before.

David changed the rules when he and his family walked inot my life. The strike couldn't have happened without him, and because of it, everything's different now. I'm more of a real leader, and I'm actually responsible for all these other kids. Their lives - their futures - depend on the outcome of this strike. Which, in turn, depends very heavily on me at the moment. No pressure, right?

It was Pulitzer himself who showed it to me. When he first made his offer, it was a no-brainer. Of course I wouldn't betray my cause, not for any price. This wasn't about the money, it was about power. He'd made that perfectly clear just moments before. But when he threatened my boys, and more specifically David and his family, I realized it wasn't just about me anymore, either.

What really made up my mind, though, was when David tried to help me escape. For some reason it made Pulitzer's threats more real. At that point the decision was still a no-brainer - but on the other side. I had no choice.

He was hurt. I could tell he took it personally because for once he had very little to say. All he could manage through his flustered attempts to determine my reasoning was a feeble yet defiant "No!" when I told him to leave. I couldn't waste time trying to explain it to him. Besides, I knew if I did he'd try to find some way around it. Davey's real smart, but I kinda doubt he'd be able to outsmart Pulitzer on this. Race might be willing to bet on it, but I just can't put someone else's future on those kinds of odds.

One thing that bothers me over all else is what Joe said about the strike ending without me. As much as I don't want it to be true, he's right. These kids are so disorganized, they'll disband quickly without a leader. I spent all that night at the Refuge trying to think of a way around this disturbing detail.

By morning, I still hadn't formed any kind of real plan - until I saw my boys at the gates. I'd expected them to be discouraged and disappointed when they saw me among the scabs. If they were, they certainly didn't show it. All I saw was anger. Outrage. Distrust. Even some hate. It gave me hope. Maybe the cause wasn't lost yet, after all.

But they were still so disorganized. Sure they were angry as a hive of bees, but none of them were focused enough to take charge, not even Spot. Davey had the focus - I could see it in his eyes - but I also knew he lacked the confidence to step up to the plate. Well, I was just gonna have to do something about that.

When he stepped forward to talk to me, I knew I was gonna have to push some buttons. It wasn't hard. There was already a spark of anger inside him. All I had to do was fan the flames. I dodged most of his spiteful comments, steering the argument in the directions I wanted it to go and throwing as many veiled insults as I could think of. I played heavily on the fact that he took this all so personally. More than anything, I was careful to make myself look like a fake as much as possible. And when he finally shouted at me that he didn't need me anymore, that _they_ didn't need me anymore, it stung like hell - but it was precisely what I'd been looking for. I took one more shot at his confidence just to make sure, and was relieved to see the fire leap into his eyes.

As he turned away, I watched him survey the ranks of newsies silently waiting. I saw him hesitate as he saw all their anxious faces staring back at him for the answers. Then he turned back to me one last time. So I prodded a little more. Taunting. Daring. And that's when I saw the fire erupt into a blazing inferno. He lunged at me with a fearsome snarl, stopped only by the bulls that held him back. A small sigh of relief escaped me then, because I knew in that moment my boys would be safe.

No matter what happens to me now, I know they'll pull through all right in the end. I've left a piece of myself with them in David. And I pray that fire never goes out.


End file.
